ECOEA ...the link between your local and the Ohio Education Association
As one of our 8,000 members of a local association within the six counties served by ECOEA (Carroll, Columbiana, Holmes, Stark, Tuscarawas or Wayne), you are automatically a member of the East Central OEA District. We provide professional development, conferences, and scholarships that are open to all members.

IMPORTANT DATES:
Pictured Left to Right:
Seated: Julie Holderbaum, ECOEA VP; Julie Nelson, ECOEA President; Dr. Christina Collins, State Board of Education; Michelle Newman, State Board of Education; Carol Kinsey, OEA-Retired Board of Directors; Juliann Doerschuk, ECOEA Recording Secretary
Standing: Jeff Wensing, OEA Vice President; Mark Hill, OEA Secretary-Treasurer; Representative Scott Oelslager; Representative Bill Roemer; Representative Brett Hillyer; Representative Don Jones; Scott DiMauro, OEA President
The ECOEA LEGISLATIVE DINNER was held on Friday, March 4, at LaPizzaria with 100 members and guests in attendance. This annual event gave our members an opportunity to dine with our legislators and State Board of Education members who represent the ECOEA district. Following dinner, a panel discussion served as the program. The panel moderator was ECOEA President Julie Nelson, North Canton EA. Julie presented questions that were submitted by the guests. This year's questions centered on the Backpack Bill, the teaching of divisive concepts, and posting lesson plans online.
You can read ALL the questions that were submitted at the button below. The list of questions is sent to all legislators in our district, so they know what issues are on the minds of our members.
Joining us for the evening and serving on the panel were:
  • Representative Bill Roemer, HD 38
  • Representative Scott Oelslager, HD 48
  • Representative Thomas West, HD 49
  • Representative Don Jones, HD 95
  • Representative Brett Hillyer, HD 98
  • State Board of Education member Dr. Christina Collins
  • State Board of Education member Michelle Newman
Also joining us were the OEA officers:
  • Scott DiMauro, OEA President
  • Jeff Wensing, OEA Vice President
  • Mark Hill, OEA Secretary-Treasurer
Thank you to all our guests for joining us for the evening. Special thanks to all the educators who came out on a Friday night to ask the questions of the people who make decisions that affect every student, classroom, and educator in Ohio! Educators have a voice and vote. Thanks for speaking for all of us!
NEA Member Benefits continues to offer ZOOM sessions on a range of topics designed to help make members' lives better. In March, we’ll get together twice each Tuesday (3/1/ - 3/22), sometimes in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon/evening. The same ZOOM link will work for any and all of these sessions (NOTE: You may get a message that the meeting is scheduled for March 1, but you can ignore that as the link will work all month long!)
SOCIAL SECURITY WEP, GPO AND OTHER ISSUES WHICH MAY IMPACT YOUR RETIREMENT
MARCH 15 starting at 4:00 p.m. EASTERN and followed by an encore presentation at 5:15 p.m. EASTERN
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR NEA MEMBERSHIP – an overview of your benefits as a Kahoot game! 
MARCH 22 starting at 4:00 p.m. EASTERN and followed by an encore presentation at 5:00 p.m. EASTERN. To fully participate in the Kahoot game, please have a second phone or other smart device to use as your response device
If prompted, the meeting ID is 836 4821 0108 and the passcode is 022543
OEA-RETIRED NEWS
from Kathleen Purdy, OEA-R Rep to ECOEA

May 17, 2022-OEA-Retired Spring Conference-Dover
Program and tour at the Warther Museum and Gardens
Overnight accommodations available at the Carlisle Inn, Sugarcreek
  • Block Rate $134.00, includes breakfast
  • Group number RB879
  • (330) 852-2586
  • Block Rate good until April 16, 2022

June 4, 2022-OEA 175th Anniversary Celebration-Columbus

Become a Pre-retired member at any time in your career. There is a new payment plan to make it easy, too! Click HERE for the application and information.
ECOEA ELECTION NEWS

Nominations close March 16 for OEA Board of Directors-ECOEA Unit 3, three-year term for the OEA Board of Directors. ECOEA-Unit 3, will be elected at the ECOEA Spring Representative Assembly on April 30, 2022. This is an OEA position and requires candidates to file the Declaration of Candidacy form with OEA no later than March 16, 2022. This position requires the member to be from a local within Unit 3.
Please contact the Business Manager at (330) 499-8587 if you have any questions.

The nominations period closed on March 1, for the ECOEA elected positions. Positions with no declared candidates will be filled by nomination from the floor of the ECOEA Representative Assembly on April 30, 2022. Positions with no declared candidates are:
  • Stark County Rep #1
  • Stark County Rep #2
  • Tuscarawas County Rep

ECOEA REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY-SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 2022
The ECOEA Representative Assembly will be held at a different location this year in order to allow for more distancing. The ECOEA RA will be held in the library of North Canton Hoover High School, 525 7th St. NE, North Canton. The library entrance is on the northwest corner of the building. Maps to the RA will be included in the delegate letter mailed in early April.
Connecting with the Community

ECOEA again is offering Public Relations Grants of up to $500 to locals to improve their image in the community. Claymont EA used a PR Grant to add signs for school pride to the poles outside the school. Members of the community, opposing teams, and Claymont students are greeted by the colorful signs!
In order to apply for PR Grant funds, your local must have elected and sent delegates to the ECOEA Representative Assembly the previous year. We encourage local associations to participate in the governance of our district. Deadline to apply is April 1, 2022.
Connecting with our Members

ECOEA offers Internal Organizing Grants to local associations to attract and retain members. Local associations that apply should describe their plan to use the funds for member use--an end-of-year picnic, door prizes for association functions, back-to-school coffee and donuts, new member orientations, tailgate activities for members, the list is as creative as you can get!
Local associations that elect and send delegates are invited to apply for up to $500 for use of the association by December 31, 2022. The deadline to apply is April 1, 2022, at the link below.
$10,000 Staycation Giveaway
California Casualty, the provider of the NEA Auto and Home insurance program, wants to help you escape the everyday with $10,000 to spend your way. Get that hot tub you’ve always wanted, create your dream kitchen, turn your backyard into an oasis, add a media room the whole family can enjoy – the possibilities are endless, but only if you enter to win. You give back every day…now it’s time to take care of yourself. 
The winner for the $10,000 prize will be randomly selected in October. No obligation, click here to enter: www.membergiveaway.com/NEA

ECOEA members are encouraged to apply for the Quinn Scholarship for Members which provides a $500 scholarship for continuing education. The scholarship is named in honor of William and Dolores Quinn, the first Executive Director and Secretary of ECOEA. The scholarship is awarded by a lottery drawing from all qualified applicants following the April 1, 2022, application deadline, and presented at the ECOEA Spring Representative Assembly on April 30, 2022.
The Quinn Scholarship for Child of a Member provides one scholarship of $1,500 to the child of a member who is seeking a degree in education. The student must provide proof of acceptance or enrollment in an education degree program to qualify. The scholarship is paid directly to the college or university in the student's name. Application deadline is April 1, 2022, and the scholarship will be presented at the ECOEA Spring Representative Assembly on April 30, 2022. Both of the Quinn Scholarships are by lottery drawing from all qualified applicants and open to ALL ECOEA members!
The East Central Ohio Education Association officers and staff:
Julie Nelson, North Canton EA, President
Julie Holderbaum, Minerva Local EA, Vice President
Juliann Doerschuk, Alliance EA, Recording Secretary
Valerie Heban, OEA-Retired, retired, North Canton EA

Website: ecoea.ohea.us
Phone: (330) 499-8587
Office: 129 Easton St. NE, Canton, OH 44721
Per ECOEA Policy 3.6 Access to Financial Reports-the monthly Executive Committee financial report is available to any member upon request.

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